7 Best Ways to Use an Online Order Chatbot for Restaurants

Chatfuel is a popular AI chatbot platform that offers a visual drag‑and‑drop interface for building conversational flows. Restaurants can use Chatfuel to create simple menu browsing experiences, place orders, and provide basic customer support. The platform supports integration with Facebook Messenger and can be embedded on websites via a widget. Chatfuel is well‑known for its ease of use and quick deployment, making it a suitable choice for restaurants that need a straightforward ordering bot without extensive technical resources. Key strengths of Chatfuel include its free tier for small businesses, a large library of pre‑built templates, and robust analytics that track conversation metrics. It also offers a range of integrations with third‑party services such as Zapier, allowing restaurants to connect the chatbot with their email marketing or POS systems. However, Chatfuel’s customization options are limited to the available template elements, and more advanced features such as dynamic knowledge bases or persistent memory require paid plans. Overall, Chatfuel is a solid option for restaurants that need a quick, no‑code chatbot solution, especially if they already rely on Facebook Messenger for customer interaction.

ManyChat focuses on building chatbots primarily for Facebook Messenger, SMS, and email. Its visual interface allows restaurants to create conversational flows that can guide users through menu selections, take orders, and push promotional messages. ManyChat also offers a range of automation tools, such as drip campaigns and broadcast messaging, which can be leveraged to keep customers engaged after they place an order. The platform provides built‑in templates for e‑commerce and food ordering scenarios, making it easy for restaurants to get started quickly. ManyChat’s pricing structure is tiered, with a free plan that supports up to 500 subscribers and paid plans that unlock advanced features like SMS messaging and higher subscriber limits. While ManyChat does not provide a sophisticated knowledge base, it offers integration with external services via webhooks, allowing restaurants to connect to their POS or inventory systems. ManyChat is particularly useful for restaurants that rely heavily on Facebook marketing and want to funnel customers into a chatbot for orders or reservations.

Intercom is a customer messaging platform that combines live chat, help desk, and marketing automation into a single suite. Restaurants can use Intercom to provide real‑time support for menu inquiries, place orders, and handle post‑order follow‑ups. The platform offers a chatbot builder that allows non‑technical staff to create guided conversations using a visual editor. Intercom’s strengths lie in its robust analytics, integration with a wide range of third‑party services (including e‑commerce platforms), and the ability to route complex queries to human agents. It also offers a knowledge base feature where restaurants can publish FAQs and product information that the bot can reference. However, the chatbot’s customization options are more limited compared to dedicated chatbot builders, and the overall cost can be high for small businesses. Intercom is well‑suited for restaurants that need a comprehensive customer communication hub and are willing to invest in a premium solution.

Ada offers an AI‑driven chatbot platform that focuses on automating customer support across multiple channels. Restaurants can deploy Ada chatbots on websites, mobile apps, or messaging apps to answer menu questions, take orders, and manage reservations. The platform provides a visual interface for building conversational paths and supports integration with existing customer databases via API. Ada’s primary advantage is its AI‑powered response generation, which can handle a wide variety of queries without extensive rule‑based scripting. It also offers multilingual support and can be trained on custom content. However, Ada’s pricing is premium, and the platform is geared more toward large enterprises. Small restaurants may find the cost and complexity prohibitive. Ada is best suited for chain restaurants or food‑service brands that require advanced AI support and multilingual capabilities.

Tars is a chatbot platform that specializes in building conversational landing pages and guided sales funnels. For restaurants, Tars can be used to create interactive ordering experiences that guide customers through menu selection and checkout. The platform’s drag‑and‑drop builder makes it easy to design flows without coding. Tars offers features such as pre‑built templates for e‑commerce, integration with popular payment gateways, and analytics to track conversion rates. However, the platform is primarily focused on the ordering process and does not provide advanced AI capabilities or persistent memory beyond the current session. Additionally, Tars does not offer a dedicated knowledge base or AI course builder. Restaurants that need a quick, conversion‑focused chatbot for ordering can benefit from Tars, especially if they already use its landing page solutions.

Drift is a conversational marketing platform that helps businesses engage visitors in real‑time chat to qualify leads and drive revenue. Restaurants can use Drift to set up chatbots that answer menu inquiries, schedule reservations, and capture contact information for follow‑up campaigns. The platform includes a visual flow builder, AI chat capabilities, and integration with CRM systems. Drift’s strengths lie in its ability to route qualified leads to sales teams and its robust analytics dashboard. It also offers marketing automation features such as email triggers and personalized messaging. However, the platform is more focused on lead generation than on detailed ordering workflows, and its pricing is higher compared to dedicated ordering chatbot solutions. Drift is suitable for upscale restaurants or hotels that want to combine chatbot interactions with a broader marketing funnel.